The Career Development Program (CDP) is a critical and integral component of the Duke SPORE in Brain Cancer that facilitates the identification, support, and mentoring of promising new and early-stage investigators in translational neuro-oncology. Projects will be encouraged to be broadly collaborative and to test novel paradigms that will further expand the scope of the brain tumor diagnosis, prevention, and management. The DRP will specifically target projects having a strong likelihood of becoming successful and independent research projects or having a high potential of developing into full SPORE projects that replace projects within the SPORE that are not progressing satisfactorily. The Specific Aims of the CDP are to: 1) Identify and support meritorious translational projects led by NIH-designated new or early stage investigators that have a high probability of impacting the diagnosis, treatment or prevention of brain tumors; 2) Recruit and retain promising women and minority new and early-stage investigators with a career focus in translational neuro-oncology research; 3) Facilitate access to programs for leadership training and a highly successful program for grant writing that includes mentoring of early-stage and new investigators to enable such faculty members to achieve independent faculty status with emphasis on neuro-oncology research; and 4) Provide continuing evaluation of progress on funded projects and facilitate their evolution into full SPORE projects or independently funded projects. This application builds upon the highly successful CDP of the previous Duke Brain Cancer SPORE that resulted in the successful development of several early-stage scientists, including a number of women and minority investigators. This application builds upon and extends this success through the integration of the SPORE CDP with a highly advanced faculty development program, which offers a wide range of short courses to enable young faculty to learn skills related to leadership, scientific writing, personnel management, grants management and others. This integration of the CDP with the Office of Faculty Development will ensure longitudinal mentorship and development of CDP award recipients throughout their tenure at our medical center. We anticipate the successful recruitment of outstanding new talent to the field of neuro-oncology research, as we have done in the past, through this highly visible awards program.